A number of patents and articles describe methods and devices for stimulating nerves to achieve a desired effect. Often these techniques include a design for an electrode or electrode cuff.
The control unit of an implantable electronic device such as a pacemaker or a defibrillator typically has two portions: a metal can, which includes the circuitry of the device, and a non-metallic header, which provides connection points for leads.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,907,295 to Gross et al., which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and is incorporated herein by reference, describes apparatus for applying current to a nerve. A cathode is adapted to be placed in a vicinity of a cathodic longitudinal site of the nerve and to apply a cathodic current to the nerve. A primary inhibiting anode is adapted to be placed in a vicinity of a primary anodal longitudinal site of the nerve and to apply a primary anodal current to the nerve. A secondary inhibiting anode is adapted to be placed in a vicinity of a secondary anodal longitudinal site of the nerve and to apply a secondary anodal current to the nerve, the secondary anodal longitudinal site being closer to the primary anodal longitudinal site than to the cathodic longitudinal site.
US Patent Application Publication 2006/0106441 to Ayal et al., which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and is incorporated herein by reference, describes apparatus for applying current to a nerve, including a housing, adapted to be placed in a vicinity of the nerve, and at least one cathode and at least one anode, fixed to the housing. The apparatus further includes two or more passive electrodes, fixed to the housing, and a conducting element, which electrically couples the passive electrodes to one another.
The following patents, which are incorporated herein by reference, may be of interest:    U.S. Pat. No. 6,684,105 to Cohen et al.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,872 to Cigaina    U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,481 to Bullara    U.S. Pat. No. 6,230,061 to Hartung    U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,468 to Klepinski    U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,756 to Kallesoe et al.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,462 to Tyler et al.    U.S. Pat. No. 6,456,866 to Tyler et al.    U.S. Pat. No. 4,602,624 to Naples et al.    U.S. Pat. No. 6,600,956 to Maschino et al.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,430 to Fang et al.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,824,027 Hoffer et al.
The following articles, which are incorporated herein by reference, may be of interest:    Naples G G et al., “A spiral nerve cuff electrode for peripheral nerve stimulation,” by IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, 35(11) (1988)    Deurloo K E et al., “Transverse tripolar stimulation of peripheral nerve: a modelling study of spatial selectivity,” Med Biol Eng Comput, 36(1):66-74 (1998)    Tarver W B et al., “Clinical experience with a helical bipolar stimulating lead,” Pace, Vol. 15, October, Part II (1992)    Fitzpatrick et al., “A nerve cuff design for the selective activation and blocking of myelinated nerve fibers,” Ann. Conf. of the IEEE Eng. in Medicine and Biology Soc, 13(2), 906 (1991)    Baratta R et al., “Orderly stimulation of skeletal muscle motor units with tripolar nerve cuff electrode,” IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, 36(8):836-43 (1989)